This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
6 • July 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


You Cannot Baby Sit Your Own Children


by Gabriel A. Fraire ~ gafraire@comcast.net


Healdsburg, CA. ~ Some- times I’m embarrassed to be a male. Actually a lot of the time I’m embarrassed by it, especially when the topic of conversation turns to things like childcare or housework. Being a child of the 60’s I was duped into think- ing my genera- tion was going to be different. As we grew up and began having our own families I thought the men would just naturally become more involved in the rearing of the children. I thought since we preached


equality of races and sexes that we “baby boomers” would erase the stereotypical male-female roles around the house. Wrong. I was raised to be- lieve that no work is demeaning and that everyone had to share in the household chores. I have four broth- ers, and one sister, and we all did our share of clothes ironing, bathroom cleaning and dia-


per changing. There was nev- er even an implication of this is women’s work and this is man’s work. A day doesn’t go by where


some woman says to me something like, “Oh, how nice, you’re taking your daughter to school. I wish my husband would do that.” I could retire if I had a dime


for every time a woman, see- ing me with my daughters, said to me, “Oh babysitting today?” When I’m asked if I am bab- ysitting I smile and say, “Oh no, these are my children.”


Tese columns are excerpts


from the book Daddy I Need to Go Potty by Gabriel A.


Fraire. Fraire has been a writer more than 40 years and is the current Literary Laureate of


Healdsburg. He can be reached through his website: gabriel- fraire.com


We have Positive Solutions to


Unforeseen Interruptions! From time to time mini fender benders and accidents occur when you least expect them. And they do happen. We are a positive solution to these annoying interruptions. We hope you don’t have to call us. But if you do... We’ll be ready!


Happy 240th Birthday ... continued from page 5


to the “remedy” that he presented. As Marshall’s colleagues, Charles Bohlen and George Kennan, ex- amined the grave European situa- tion with him, it was clear to them that an immediate “economic aid plan” was needed “to stop the star- vation of millions of people in the cities” or risk the newly won peace in shattered Europe. Marshall spoke of how “the nor-


mal exchange between farmers and city dwellers for foodstuffs and other necessities of life” had been completely disrupted by the war. “Tis division of labor (farm and city normal cycle of economic exchange) is the basis of modern civilization.” Te ghastly shortages of food and fuel for people in the severely damaged European cities were causing their governments to exhaust funds needed for recon- struction by procuring necessities from abroad. Ripe times for revo- lution. Marshall, eloquent humanitar-


ian, stated “It is logical that the United States do whatever it can to re-establish normal economic health in the world, to fight against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos.” Marshall pointed out his- tory placed the responsibility upon America, the only world power leſt undamaged aſter WWII, to par- ticipate in aiding a European re- covery plan “to help the world re- gain political stability and assured peace.” Marshall was named presi- dent of the American Red Cross in 1949 aſter he had resigned from the State Department. In 1953, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his post-war work. “Honesty, integrity and selfless service” are the words that describe the great statesman at the Marshall Founda- tion in Lexington, Virginia. Con- necting with the website provides


the public with fascinating archi- val material. Senator Claiborne de Borda Pell,


oſten referred to as “the most for- midable politician in Rhode Island history” was another great hu- manitarian. He served six terms, 1961 to 1997 and sponsored the Pell Grants. Tat fund provides financial aid funding to American college students who achieve the grades to win help. Claiborne Pell’s father Herbert


Pell was a diplomat and congress- man. Graduating from Princeton, brilliant young Pell worked as an oil field roustabout in Oklahoma before serving as private secre- tary for his father who then was the US Ambassador to Portugal. In 1941 his father was Ambassa- dor to Hungary. Te younger Pell drove emergency supply trucks to US prisoners of war in Germany. Enlisting in the Coast Guard, he served on convoy escorts and in amphibious warfare during the al- lied invasion of Italy. As a Foreign Service Officer, Pell’s fluent knowl- edge of French, Italian and Portu- guese served him well from 1945 to 1952. Pell served in the Senate for thir-


ty-six continuous years. He was the main sponsor of the bill that created the National Endowment for the Arts and the National En- dowment for the Humanities. Frugal, although from a wealthy


family, Pell “reluctantly retired” his business suits and chose to drive a Chrysler LeBaron tattered con- vertible with a roof held together with duct tape. Sad when it fell apart, he chose next a Dodge Spir- it, used, from Triſty Rental Cars. Great American senator. Re-telling America’s story in his fantastically successful hip-hop


... continued on page 14


5800 Guerneville Rd Sebastopol • 829-2477


6 • July 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


• Packaging • Greeting Cards • Locally Owned • Mailbox Rental • Copy Center • Faxing • Passport Photos • Document Shredding • Fast Service!


“Mean girls go far in high school. Kind women go far in LIFE.” ~ Mandy Hale


(707) 526-1130 • Open Mon-Sat 1585 Terrace Way ~ Santa Rosa ~ Off Pacifi c Ave.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24